Jerry Saltz

You’ve always dreamed of being an artist and are almost convinced that you’ve got what it takes but when it comes to the point, you are too petrified to take the plunge. A little jeering voice tells you that you’re not really all that good, your CV isn’t up to it, you’re too stupid or in any case not very original, you won’t fool anyone and they’ll all see that you’re a phony. If these demons attack, get to work straight away. The only way to defeat the scourge of creative block is by trying and exposing yourself to the terrifying probability of being a flop. This guide crammed with useful advice and practical exercises by Jerry Saltz invites you to enter the darkest and most threatening depths of your psyche, to discover the resources you have deep down inside you, to give free rein to your vision and find the courage, in the name of art, to present it in public. And if it is true that everything becomes possible when you go from hesitation to action, don’t worry about doing it well, just do it. Have faith in your taste even when it’s a source of embarrassment. Make imagination your mantra. Break free of the tyranny of conventions and turn them to your own ends. Never forget that while art is a vessel into which you pour yourself, it is also and above all a strategy of survival, an activity just as urgent as eating or breathing.